The Best Thanksgiving Pies Ranked

How do we spend our mornings at The Southern Weekend? Debating the issues we care about most, such as how we would rank our favorite Thanksgiving pies. Here are our very unscientific rules:

Someone must have actually had it for Thanksgiving (so long Key Lime Pie).

Variations of pies get ranked by the main flavor, so Chocolate meringue and French silk chocolate both count as a Chocolate Pies.

That said, prepare to get hungry.

Honorable Mention–

Philip would not let us publish this list without mentioning “Edwards Frozen Turtle Pie.” Billed as a “decadent pie with layers of chocolate and caramel sprinkled with pecans and chocolate chunks on a cookie crumb crust,” Philip swears by it. “If this were a list of ‘Top Pies Found in Grocery Store Freezers,’ this one would top the list,” said Philip. “As the only pie I eat during the holidays, it deserves a spot among the all-time greats.”

10) Crack Pie

What is a pie originally created in New York City doing on a Southern list? If you tasted it you’d understand. Our resident Southern Belle Molly swears by this oat crust, creamy vanilla concoction which originated at the Momofuku Milk Bar, and has now swept its way down South. If it’s good enough for her… it’s good enough for us. “My favorite version is at one of my favorite restaurants. At Dovetail they serve it with caramel ice cream. Good. Lawd. It’s good,” said Molly.

9) Butterscotch Pie

Sugary, gooey, caramel love. Fact: Some people can only handle a bite or two before passing out from a sweetness overload. We say, that just leaves more of this heavenly creation for the rest of us.

8) Chess Pie

Simple. Basic. Delicious. Recipes vary, but most include the basics of flour, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, and of course, cornmeal.

7) Lemon Meringue Pie

We all agreed this one is tasty. We couldn’t agree whether it worked at the Thanksgiving table. The best ones are fluffy, with that mix of tart and sweet which cleanses the palate after platefuls of turkey and stuffing.

6) Cherry Pie

Cherry Pie is timeless. It doesn’t matter if it is Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a random Thursday in July. A cherry pie is always good. Our boss Joe even lobbied for it at number one, though he was respectfully outvoted.

5) Sweet Potato Pie

This traditional Southern pie got plenty of votes from our hungry staff. It may be similar to pumpkin, but add in some maple syrup for extra flavoring and everyone leaves the table happy.

4) Chocolate Pie

We couldn’t agree on which chocolate pie was the best. There were votes for chocolate cream, chocolate mousse, and chocolate silk pies. So eventually we just threw up our hands and grouped them all in this category.

3) Apple Pie

You can never go wrong with this classic. Throw some vanilla ice cream on top, and you have the perfect dessert.

2) Pumpkin Pie

For some, putting this Thanksgiving staple on the list at number two is blasphemy. We know. We love pumpkin pie. We love everything about it. We could (and do) eat it all year round. But for this group of hungry Southerners, only one pie could stand alone.

1) Pecan Pie

Pecan pie evokes something so Southern that it had to be number one. Perhaps it’s that many Southern-born grandmothers have their own version. Perhaps it’s that the trees that bear these nuts are themselves icons of the Southern landscape. One thing is for sure: there’s no proper Thanksgiving without one of these pies.